Railway tie plate



Feb., 27, g G. T. WlLLARD ,949,363

RAILWAY TIE PLATE Filed Jan. l5, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HLN .Hmm

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Feb. 27, H934-,

e. T. WILLARD 1,949,363

RAILWAY TIE PLATE Filed Jan. l5. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ff' 2j JZ f5 "f f Patented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT RAILWAY TIE PLATE George T. Willard, Chicago, Ill., assigner to E. H. Bell, Chicago, Ill.

This invention relates to railway tie plates and particularly to a ribbed bottom plate in which the initial bearing surfaces are all in the same plane and loads carried by the plate are transmitted to the tie from end to end of the plate, substantially uniformly, from the time of initial seating to the ultimate seating of the plate on the tie.

The plate of the present invention is provided on its bottom with a plurality of intersecting ribs lil of varying depths, the combined depths of the plate body and said ribs representing the thickness of the plate. The plate thickness, so represented by the combined thickness of the body and depending ribs, is substantially uniform l throughout with the exception of the variation resulting from the canting or canting and crowning of the rail seat, but the greatest weight is concentrated beneath the edges of the rail seat.

In the drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a tie plate embodying my invention, the same being taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of the plate shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a detail taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is another sectional view of a detail taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View of a modined form of plate embodying my invention, the

same being taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan View of the plate Shown in Fig. 5.

1n that embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the top of the plate 10 is provided with a canted and crowned rail seat 11, a transversely extending, rail abutting shoulder 12, and ends 13, 13. The body of the plate 10 is of less thickness in its median portion 14 than at the edges of the rail seat 11, and the bottom is flat at its ends l5, 15. Between said median portion 14 and said ends 15, the plate bottom is inclined downwardly from said surface 14 toward the respective ends 15, as indicated by the inclined surfaces 16, 16. These surfaces 16 may be curved or inclined.

The bottom of tbe plate body is provided with depending tie engaging ribs, the ribs 17 being diagonally arranged and parallel to each other,

570 and the ribs 18 being parallel to each other and at an angle to the ribs 17, said ribs extending from one edge of the plate to another. As shown, the ribs 17 and 18 are at right angles to each other but their location may be altered without departing from the invention. The ribs 17 and 18 are of varying depths and widths, the ribs depending from the median portion 14 being of greatest depth and width; the ribs located on the inclined or curved surfaces 16 decreasing in depth and width as they approach the end sur- 00 faces 15, and the ribs depending from said ends 15 being narrow and relatively short in depth.

Conventional spike holes for receiving spikes which extend into the tie and fasten the rail to the tie, are indicated at 19. Additional holes 20 65 may be provided for receiving screw spikes or other devices for fastening the plate to the tie.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, the top of the plate 21 is identical with the plate 10 heretofore described. Its bottom is provided with a median portion 22, ends 23, 23, and transversely extending at surfaces 24, 24 located substantially beneath the edges of the rail seat 11, in a plane below the plane of the surfaces 22 and 23. Between the median surface 22 and said flat surfaces l5 24, 24, are inclined surfaces 25, 25, and between the end surfaces 23 and said at surfaces 24 are similar but oppositely inclined surfaces 25, 25. The surfaces 25, 25 may be curved instead of inclined. The bottom of the plate 21 is provided with ribs 17 and 18 such as heretofore described, but in this embodiment of the invention the ribs 17 and 18 are widest and deepest beneath the surfaces 22 and 23. Those ribs which depend from the at `B5 surfaces 24 are narrow and short and those which depend from the curved or inclined surfaces 25, 25 increase in width and depth from the flat surfaces 24 toward the median and end portions 22 and 23, respectively. 9

In the tie plates herein shown and described, the thickness of the plate is represented by the combined depths of the plate body and depending ribs, and the plate is stronger and more dur- 9 able than plates of greater weight. 'Ihe needed 5 reinforcement under the edges of the rail seat is secured by concentrating the greatest weight of metal beneath said edges but without increasing the thickness of the plate. The elimination of 10o metal from the median portion or the median and end portions, is compensated for by the provision of relatively wide and deep ribs, whereas the ribs on the thicker body portions are relatively narrow and short in depth.

Changes may be made in details of construction without departing from the scope of my invention, and I do not intend to be limited to the exact form shown and described, except as set forth in the `appended claims. l1.10

I claim:-

1. A tie plate having a rail bearing surface and a transversely extending rail abutting shoulder cn its top, the plate being flat beneath the edges of the rail seat and recessed intermediate said flat surfaces and at the ends of the plate, inclined surfaces connecting said flat surfaces With the median and end recessed portions, a plurality of intersecting ribs depending from said bottom surface, said ribs being of varying depths and widths and terminating in one horizontal plane.

2. A tie plate having a rail bearing surface and a transversely extending rail abutting shoulder on its top, the plate being flat beneath the edges of the rail seat and recessedintermediate said flat surfaces and at the ends of the plate, longitudinally curved surfaces connecting said flat surfaces with the median and end recessed portions, a plurality of intersecting ribs depending from said bottom surface, said ribs being of varying depths and Widths and terminating in one horizontal plane, and the greatest weight of said plate being concentrated beneath the edges of the rail seat.

3. A tie plate having a rail bearing surface and a transversely extending rail abutting shoulder on its top, the median and end portions of the plate bottom having surfaces in a different plane than the intermediate surfaces located beneath the edges of the rail seat, the plate bottom being provided with a plurality of depending intersecting ribs extending from one margin of the plate to another, the ribs depending :from the median and end portions being of greater depth than those depending from the intermediate portions of the plate bottom beneath the edges of the rail seat.

4. A tie plate having a rail bearing surface and a transversely extending rail abutting shoulder on its top, the median and end portions of the plate bottom having surfaces in a different plane than the intermediate surfaces located beneath the edges of the rail seat, the plate bottom being provided with a plurality of depending intersecting ribs extending from one margin of the plate to another, the ribs depending from the median and end portions being of greater depth and Width than those depending from the intermediate portions of the plate bottom beneath the edges of the rail seat.

5. A tie plate having a rail bearing surface and a transversely extending rail abutting shoulder on its top, the plate bottom having transversely extending surfaces located beneath the edges or the rail seat, the median portion of the plate bottom intermediate said transversely extending surfaces and the surfaces of the plate bottom at the ends of the plate being connected to said transversely extending surfaces by inclined surfaces, and a plurality of intersecting ribs extending from one margin of the plate to another, depending from said bottom surfaces, said ribs being of varying depths and widths and terminating in one horizontal plane.

GEORGE T. WILLARD. 

